Tuesday, January 19, 2016

7 - The Number of Completion - The Journey God's Taken Me on the Past 7 Years


Seven...it's the biblical number of completion.
I've been on a journey the past seven years and
didn't even realize it until recently.

It's been seven years since I lost my job in Tulsa.
I was in a state of complete fear and anxiety.

I was losing hair, I was losing sleep, I was losing hope.
I was in a very dark, depressed and unsure place.

My trust in God was completely and utterly lacking.
I could tell you in that moment that I trusted Him.

I could tell you I knew He had a great plan for my life...
BUT it was a total lie!

I didn't know what it looked like to completely trust the Lord.

I'm not sure when God did it but I KNOW now what it means
to completely trust in Him.

How do I know?!?!

Well...here I am, seven years later and I'm unemployed.

You might be a bit confused by that statement.

Well, let me go on.

I lost my job on October 26th.

The next day I felt so much peace.

Peace like I've never felt before.

I didn't tell a lot of people that I'd lost my job.
3 days after losing my job and ZERO advertising...

I had about 8 photo sessions lined up!
This sustained me the 8 weeks it took my unemployment to kick in.

My mortgage company had an unemployment program
that allowed me to pay a reduced monthly payment.

Friends hired me to help them move.

Friends had me over for lunch or dinner or even both sometimes.

Generous gifts from family members.

I had more time with my family over the holidays 
than I've had since I was in college.

I got to spend my free days with the kiddos 
from Maisha while they were here.

I went on interviews and trusted God to open 
and close the doors He saw fit.

It was just a few days ago that I realized...
"it's been seven years since I was in this place before".
I started thinking about the significance of that 
number and what it meant for my life.

I was able to go back and see just how little trust I had
in the Lord to provide for my every need.

This time I've been able to sit back and let Him take care of me 
in a time in previous years I would've been a 
complete stress ball.

Now I'm not claiming
 "Wow...I'm all good...I'm fixed...God did it in 7 years...onto the next thing!"
I still struggle in other areas of my life with 
complete trust but that is for another day & another post.

Best news of it all...I go back to work on Monday. 
 I'm excited about starting a new career. 
 I believe it's right where He wants me. 


 This song is so fitting for this season. 
 I will remember all God had done in my heart through it all!


 
I


And my God will supply every need of yours 
according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 
Philippians 4:19